WELCOME!!! This a monthly Art Challenge for anyone who wants to participate. Each month, I will post a poem written by me, and one or more photos relating to that poem. The photos will serve as reference photos for your artwork, which will be posted on WINDOWS TO THE WORDS ART. See complete guidelines on the right hand side bar. ENJOY!!!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Getting Started

Most of you who are reading this will be familiar with a very talented artist...Karin Jurick. Her work has been featured in SW Art and numerous publications and blogs. This issue of American Artist features her on the cover. I ran across her artwork and blog while browsing through the "Painting a Day" project. Her blog led me to her other blog "Different Strokes From Different Folks" which she had just started in September. Her dog, Jack, had parted from this world, and she had posted a photo of him and a painting she had done of him in remembrance. Because of her talent, openness and down-to-earth manner, Karin had already developed a sizable group of followers/admirers to her blog. A number of them responded to her loss with their own artwork version of Jack, in a show of sympathy and empathy. This provided the spark from which DSFDF began. Karin posts a photo every other Wednesday. Participating artists submit their interpretive rendering of that photo to Karin and she posts the results. No prizes. No Confetti. Just an ideal opportunity for artists to work around a common theme in a comfortable framework. Projects like the recent "Artist Portrait Exchange" encourage participating artists to "Internet Interact" creating bonds and relations that would have never occurred otherwise. Due to Karin's hard work and genuine desire to help others, the success of DSFDF may prove to be both a "kick-start" and "stepping stone" for participating artists.I would imagine, due to the success of DSFDF, that there will be copycat programs in the future. The outcome of those projects will depend on the concern, skill and hard work of the originator....more so than the participants.

This Windows to the Words challenge project is not an imitation or copy cat of Karin, but rather a tribute and a "child" of her inspiration. By incorporating photography and writing, I hope to "widen the playing field". The introduction to so many wonderful artists and the fellowship that has developed from participating in DSFDF has meant so much to me. I hope this project can spring forth similar fruit.

I need comments, suggestions, opinions and a peanut butter sandwich. Please drop me a note at JPolderndirt2@yahoo.com or leave a comment below. I need your help........James

Sheila...done. Check out the results blog, windows to the words ART for a practice. Invite your friends and enemies, and we'll see if I have enough sense to post submissions. Checked out Gurney...impressive...however I don't know how he manages to keep up with all he has going...I would be blog-clogged.

Wow, James! Your goals sound interesting and lofty...I wish you much luck with that, I will keep an eye open for it.Meanwhile, that photo of the child is precious...before reading your post I had hoped we were going to get to paint that!

Aha, Dana. I was up at the top of Irazu volcano one day coming out of the little restaurant they have there and I saw these little eyes popping out of the window. I snapped a shot and flirted with her for a few minutes....a real cutie. And I have a painting started of her, too.

I can't offer you any peanut butter sandwich there contaminated here. But maybe I can offer some artwork and such and maybe some cheering ! Good job on this undertaking. Ok, Ok, where do I go now Blog 1-2-3 let me see ?

LOL, Dominique. Down here it's called mantequilla de mani and it's pretty good. I squooshed some up with bananas last night and had a couple of sandwiches. Ten minutes later I was singing Love Me Tender and Don't Be Cruel. Kathleen and Irit...looking forward to y'all joining in. I've got mine started (the practice on WTTW/artwork) and I think it's looking cool. I think.

James, I zeroed in on your sense of humor and Texas quirkiness a good while ago, and have been happy you were part of the DSFDF group. As a matter of fact, you kind of resemble some of my kinfolk. (I don't really say that word,I swear) Where you from? (I don't really say that, either, and I have my pinky extended as I sip my coffee whilst I type -- it's quite a trick)

Anyway, I will try and see about participating in this. Now, please tell me you're not gonna tell us we have to sign away the rights to the images like... harumph...someone we know? Because frankly I just KNOW I will submit things that will make me rich someday. Natcherly. (j/k)Your silly Texan friend, Camille

The rights of things I don't worry about, really. Our God-given talents were meant to share with others. If we can make a few bucks here and there and maybe even a living, so be it. But in the long run, what we get from giving will far exceed what we can ever get from taking.

In the Eyes of a Child

Followers

Intro-Guidelines-Rules

THE WORDS I love to write corny little poems. So each month I will post one of my corny little poems. But then...................

THE CHALLENGEOn the First of each month I will post one or more photos that will relate to my corny little poem. You choose one (or two, or all, if you want to) ...do an artwork from that reference photo (oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, pen and ink, drawing, whatever) and send it to me (jpg, clear and sharp and sized) at windowstothewords@gmail.com by the deadline. I will post your art on Windows to the Words Art.

PRIZES For the most part, this is just a fun excercise...if ya feel ya need something for your effort, then come on over to Burnet, Texas and drop by my gallery. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee, and I usually have a stale donut or two around. However....occasionally, I get in a generous mood and award a small painting or a surprise package of my "Tiny Texas Treasures"

So I invite and encourage you to participate. I will try to keep the topics of a generally popular nature, so that your finished artwork will have "sales appeal" and maybe ya can get a few bucks for it on E-Bay. AND... If you participate...it helps me from feeling glum ;-)